GURUGRAM: A real estate developer may be asked to pay Rs 1.5 crore as penalty for chopping off 2,200 trees in Choma village near Palam Vihar in 2017.
After the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the forest department to analyse the damage due to the felling of trees, it prepared a report. “The district forest department has submitted the report with the recommendation on the penalty. However, the head office will send it to the NGT and then a final decision will be taken,” said a source, requesting anonymity.
The report has been sent to Chandigarh and it would now be sent to senior officials at the NGT.
In 2017, the developer had axed 2,200 trees in Choma, although, the forest department had permitted cutting of only 20 trees. The trees were felled in the first week of February in 2017 and an FIR was lodged against the developer and some forest officials in March 2017. The builder was allegedly helped by a forest guard, a forester and a range forest officer. Later, two forest guards were suspended and a probe was conducted by the forest department. Many forest department officials had also complained about the incident alleging negligence. But no action was taken.
In March this year, the NGT directed the forest department to analyse the damage and recommend the penalty amount. It asked the forest department to submit a report within two years.
Activists, however, feel that imposing a penalty is not enough. “The department needs to understand that the amount is very small for the real estate developer. It is definitely not enough. Strict action should be taken against any employee and officer found responsible for tree cutting at that time. I think the builder should also be given the responsibility to plant trees and take care of those for a few years,” said Vivek Kamboj, an environmentalist. Kamboj had filed a complaint with the forest department and the state environment ministry when the trees were felled.

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